Get Three Top Players and Go Home

[mgteich]

Top teams don't get to draft in the top 10 very often. We have fewer needs than any team in football, yet we are picking in the top ten. Awesome!

PICK ONE
I think that we should draft in the 5-10 range. As long as there are seven studs on our board, we will be assured to get one. In a sense, this is the BPA, since no QB or 43 DE or 43 LB is likely to be rated in the top ten by Pioli and Belichick. Is a DE OK? Of course! This player will have a contract through 2013. Seymour, Wilfork, Green and even Smith all have contracts that end in 2009. It took Warren a couple of year to develop. A DE would be fine pick. A DE that projects to LB would be even better.

PICKS TWO AND THREE
I would use our 3rd and 4th to move up in the 2nd and move into the second with Oakland's third.

AFTER THAT
Anyone in the 5th or later is unlikely to make the 53 man squad; but we'll each have our favorite binky well into training camp. How many posters had Rogers starting by midyear or certainly in 2008!?

======================

Personally, I think that DE is most likely with two DB's before the end of the third round and the required OL in the 5th, and the required TE in the 6th.

 

[PonyExpress]

If C. Long drops to 3, I would trade up with Atlanta. Give them the #1, #2 and the early #3. Leave day 1 with C. Long and Beau Bell in the 3rd rd. If C. Long is gone, sit at #7 and take Gholston. If C. Long, J. Long, Gholston are all gone, trade down.

 

[mgteich]

I'm fine with

J Long
C Long and
Gholston

I would add Dorsey.

That's four I would be fine with, and as you I would also trade up for C Long. I would expect/hope that other will be added to the list in the next three months.

I would trade down depending on my board from there. However, there is a lot to be said for reaching and getting one of the top three on our board at the time. After all shouldn't we have reached for a LB in 2007, instead of choosing Meriweather?

If C. Long drops to 3, I would trade up with Atlanta. Give them the #1, #2 and the early #3. Leave day 1 with C. Long and Beau Bell in the 3rd rd. If C. Long is gone, sit at #7 and take Gholston. If C. Long, J. Long, Gholston are all gone, trade down.

 

[DaBruinz]

If C. Long drops to 3, I would trade up with Atlanta. Give them the #1, #2 and the early #3. Leave day 1 with C. Long and Beau Bell in the 3rd rd. If C. Long is gone, sit at #7 and take Gholston. If C. Long, J. Long, Gholston are all gone, trade down.

Bell isn't going to last into the 3rd round.

And Chris Long isn't worth 3 picks AND 20 million guaranteed.

Personally, trading down with Dallas and picking up 2 players in the 1st round would be better than throwing a ton of money out the window on one player.

I could see Gholston still being around at 22 and then the Pats taking someone like Mike Jenkins with the later pick.

 

[PonyExpress]

Bell isn't going to last into the 3rd round.

And Chris Long isn't worth 3 picks AND 20 million guaranteed.

Personally, trading down with Dallas and picking up 2 players in the 1st round would be better than throwing a ton of money out the window on one player.

I could see Gholston still being around at 22 and then the Pats taking someone like Mike Jenkins with the later pick.

I realize this is going out on a limb, but IMO C. Long is a HOF player. He would probably be the best defensive player on the Pats from day 1. It would be a steal to take him at #3. If Gholston shows athleticism he'll go top 10, because of the impact of Merriman and Ware. Obviously this is all speculation before the combine etc. Also, Quincy Black lasted into the 3rd rd last season.

 

[dryheat44]

He would probably be the best defensive player on the Pats from day 1.

Wow. Just Wow. I like the leap of faith, though. Personally, I wouldn't put him above any of our top four D-lineman, Vrabel, Colvin, Thomas, a returning Seau or Samuel, or even Sanders next year.

 

[danny88]

I realize this is going out on a limb, but IMO C. Long is a HOF player. He would probably be the best defensive player on the Pats from day 1. It would be a steal to take him at #3. If Gholston shows athleticism he'll go top 10, because of the impact of Merriman and Ware. Obviously this is all speculation before the combine etc. Also, Quincy Black lasted into the 3rd rd last season.

First three high picks and 20 million bucks for Long , now this? Please stop

 

[DaBruinz]

I realize this is going out on a limb, but IMO C. Long is a HOF player. He would probably be the best defensive player on the Pats from day 1. It would be a steal to take him at #3. If Gholston shows athleticism he'll go top 10, because of the impact of Merriman and Ware. Obviously this is all speculation before the combine etc. Also, Quincy Black lasted into the 3rd rd last season.

Quincy Black, to my knowledge, was never rated as a 1st round pick, except maybe prior to the start of last season. He was rated as a 3rd rounder by the time the draft came around.

Depending on where you look, Bell is rated as either the 2nd best ILB or the 6th/7th best OLB, before junior declarations. Considering that Goff is listed as a 4th rounder, I see Bell going off the board no later than mid 2nd round, unless he has a horrendous combine and private workout. I don't see him lasting to the end of the 3rd round.

 

[mcbee]

I realize this is going out on a limb, but IMO C. Long is a HOF player. He would probably be the best defensive player on the Pats from day 1. It would be a steal to take him at #3. If Gholston shows athleticism he'll go top 10, because of the impact of Merriman and Ware. Obviously this is all speculation before the combine etc. Also, Quincy Black lasted into the 3rd rd last season.

I'm sorry, but that's about the most ridiculous post I've ever seen.

You can't just how a player will do just by how well he does in college. There are a lot of "can't miss/sure thing" guys who bust completely, and many more who simply don't live up to their draft pick. There's no way of knowing before hand.

"This guy is different!!". Sure, they all are. But very few of them turn into Pro Bowl let alone HOF players.

 

[patsfaninpa]

Top teams don't get to draft in the top 10 very often. We have fewer needs than any team in football, yet we are picking in the top ten. Awesome!

PICK ONE
I think that we should draft in the 5-10 range. As long as there are seven studs on our board, we will be assured to get one. In a sense, this is the BPA, since no QB or 43 DE or 43 LB is likely to be rated in the top ten by Pioli and Belichick. Is a DE OK? Of course! This player will have a contract through 2013. Seymour, Wilfork, Green and even Smith all have contracts that end in 2009. It took Warren a couple of year to develop. A DE would be fine pick. A DE that projects to LB would be even better.

PICKS TWO AND THREE
I would use our 3rd and 4th to move up in the 2nd and move into the second with Oakland's third.

AFTER THAT
Anyone in the 5th or later is unlikely to make the 53 man squad; but we'll each have our favorite binky well into training camp. How many posters had Rogers starting by midyear or certainly in 2008!?

======================

Personally, I think that DE is most likely with two DB's before the end of the third round and the required OL in the 5th, and the required TE in the 6th.

Interesting idea. Hard for middle-rounders to break our lineup. BB likes vets who can help us win. Not, into developing talent for other teams. Would give us a Top 10 pick in each of the first 3 rounds. Perhaps coming off of a historic season. I may go to the draft this year to watch all of the moans and groans from fans of other teams.

 

[BosPats]

I'm fine with

J Long
C Long and
Gholston

I would add Dorsey.

That's four I would be fine with, and as you I would also trade up for C Long. I would expect/hope that other will be added to the list in the next three months.

I would trade down depending on my board from there. However, there is a lot to be said for reaching and getting one of the top three on our board at the time. After all shouldn't we have reached for a LB in 2007, instead of choosing Meriweather?

Watch Gholston have a BIG GAME against LSU, his stock will go through the roof. He will go ahead of Chris Long to the Jets or Raiders.
Chris Long will be sitting there at #7 and Belichick will pull the trigger.
"Howie will tell Bill, "you won't be disappointed".

 

[Jimke]

Top teams don't get to draft in the top 10 very often. We have fewer needs than any team in football, yet we are picking in the top ten. Awesome!

PICK ONE
I think that we should draft in the 5-10 range. As long as there are seven studs on our board, we will be assured to get one. In a sense, this is the BPA, since no QB or 43 DE or 43 LB is likely to be rated in the top ten by Pioli and Belichick. Is a DE OK? Of course! This player will have a contract through 2013. Seymour, Wilfork, Green and even Smith all have contracts that end in 2009. It took Warren a couple of year to develop. A DE would be fine pick. A DE that projects to LB would be even better.

PICKS TWO AND THREE
I would use our 3rd and 4th to move up in the 2nd and move into the second with Oakland's third.

AFTER THAT
Anyone in the 5th or later is unlikely to make the 53 man squad; but we'll each have our favorite binky well into training camp. How many posters had Rogers starting by midyear or certainly in 2008!?

======================

Personally, I think that DE is most likely with two DB's before the end of the third round and the required OL in the 5th, and the required TE in the 6th.

I agree that we need quality not quantity from this draft. In retrospect,

I wish we had packaged our late round picks last year for higher picks.

 

[dryheat44]

I agree that we need quality not quantity from this draft. In retrospect,

I wish we had packaged our late round picks last year for higher picks.

There's not really a market for 6th round picks, at least two of which were comp picks, I think, and therefore untradeable. The first pick we used after Meriweather was Kwame Brown in the fourth round, followed by 6th and 7th picks. Our other picks netted us Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and the #7 pick in this year's draft.

Quality over Quantity? I'd say the Patriots Brain Trust did exactly that in 2007.

 

[Jimke]

There's not really a market for 6th round picks, at least two of which were comp picks, I think, and therefore untradeable. The first pick we used after Meriweather was Kwame Brown in the fourth round, followed by 6th and 7th picks. Our other picks netted us Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and the #7 pick in this year's draft.

Quality over Quantity? I'd say the Patriots Brain Trust did exactly that in 2007.

My main gripe with the 2007 draft is that the Pats seemed to concede

it was a bad draft and blew it off after their first pick. How can you

rationalize the fact that they drafted three offensive linemen with a

snowball's chance in hell of making the team? Those three players

may have been the BPA but the Pats' need was linebackers and defensive

backs. It will be interesting to see how many of our defensive needs are

filled in the 2008 draft. As you suggest, they could draft an offensive

tackle with their first pick and that would leave them scrambling to

fill their defensive needs.

 

[ayjackson]

Three picks on the first day would be pretty sweet. I think the draft has some nice depth at some key positions.

We could take Gholston in the first; trade our thirds for a second and take Antoine Cason; and then take Jon Goff or Beau Bell with our own second. That would be unbelievable, due to the presence of two LB's on day 1. Throw in a nasty RT/RG like John Greco in the fourth and some training camp fodder.....mmmmmmm.

Hey.....that might be my first mock of the season.

 

[BTTA]

I realize this is going out on a limb, but IMO C. Long is a HOF player. He would probably be the best defensive player on the Pats from day 1.

Please. I'm a UVa fan, have followed Long during his time there, and while he is probably going to be a good NFL player, he wouldn't make the starting lineup for the Pats this year. And he would next year only if Colvin and Bruschi leave and aren't replaced with vets.

There were games this year where he was largely neutralized. Every player on the Patriot's defense would have more impact playing on the Virginia defense than did Long.

 

[PonyExpress]

Please. I'm a UVa fan, have followed Long during his time there, and while he is probably going to be a good NFL player, he wouldn't make the starting lineup for the Pats this year. And he would next year only if Colvin and Bruschi leave and aren't replaced with vets.

There were games this year where he was largely neutralized. Every player on the Patriot's defense would have more impact playing on the Virginia defense than did Long.

I stand by my opinion.

 

[jeffbiologist]

I think there is at least one pretty good 6th rounder here

Top teams don't get to draft in the top 10 very often. We have fewer needs than any team in football, yet we are picking in the top ten. Awesome!

AFTER THAT
Anyone in the 5th or later is unlikely to make the 53 man squad; but we'll each have our favorite binky well into training camp. How many posters had Rogers starting by midyear or certainly in 2008!?

======================
Well look at all their mid-round/decent $$ players who never panned out. I think that also was a factor in changing draft stategies last year. There is a VERY VERY 6th round pick on the team in case you havent noticed! They should target starters in the first round or two and always grab as much fodder as you can at the bottom. If you pick one diamond every few years from there its better than a single backup OL or another DB that gets hurt in camp. When you HIT with a lower round guy(Andrews last year)it really helps balance out the all the cap ramifications of being a top-heavy juggernaut.

 

[Water Boy]

If we drafted Long, would you see him has a replacement for Seymour? According to Miguel, Seymour is due 6.8 million in 2008 and 9+ million in 2009. Wilfork is also an UFA after 2009.

IMO there is no way the Pats could extend Seymour and sign Long or Dorsey.

 

[patsfaninpa]

If we drafted Long, would you see him has a replacement for Seymour? According to Miguel, Seymour is due 6.8 million in 2008 and 9+ million in 2009. Wilfork is also an UFA after 2009.

IMO there is no way the Pats could extend Seymour and sign Long or Dorsey.

I'm not sure C.Long has the bulk to be a 3-4 de in our scheme. Of course, he's going to get bigger as he gets older. But, just doesn't seem to have the right size for our system. A kid who impressed me this year was that Dingle kid from WVU. He played against two very good T prospects. Otah and Loadholt his last two games. I didn't see much of him before that. But, he looked good against Pitt and Oklahoma. I think he might be a good value at 63 or 68. He's listed about 6'3 288. Could easily be a 300lb as he matures.